China's People's Daily Online addresses the Gertz article after a fashion with this report. An important aspect of any possible conflict between China and the United States is consideration of the damage done to the economies not only of the United States and China but those of countries throughout the world. It's a gamblers game to be played when nations prepare for war and hope to outbluff or otherwise acquire their goals without war. A war would be a disaster to all involved but perhaps the Chinese believe that the United States would not fulfill their defense obligations in consideration of that economic damage. Certainly Japan made that calculation when they attacked the United States in Pearl Harbor.